Dalit Farmers Scammed into Buying Electoral Bonds Worth Rs 11 Crore by Company Linked to Adani: Report 

Six members of a Dalit family from Gujarat fell victim to a scam, being coerced into purchasing electoral bonds worth Rs 11 crore on October 11, 2023. Reportedly, Welspun Enterprises Ltd, in association with the Adani Group, orchestrated this fraudulent scheme. 

The victims were promised a 1.5-fold increase in their investment within a few years, under the guise of avoiding tax-related troubles with the Income Tax Department. This deception unfolded after Welspun acquired a significant portion of their agricultural land for a project. 

Haresh Savakara, son of one of the duped individuals, revealed the manipulation, stating, "We are illiterate people. We had no clue what this scheme was but at that time it sounded very convincing." 

The accused, including Welspun Directors Vishwanathan Kollengode, Sanjay Gupta, Chintan Thaker, and Praveen Bhansali, along with Mahendrasinh Sodha (Senior General Manager at Welspun) and others, are under scrutiny. 

No FIR has been filed by police but the investigations are ongoing. Welspun employee Mahendrasinh Sodha, who played a pivotal role in the deceit, allegedly held multiple meetings persuading the victims to invest in the electoral bond scheme.

  The scandal comes in the wake of the Supreme Court's landmark ruling, declaring the Electoral Bonds Scheme "unconstitutional" and violative of fundamental rights. The Opposition has seized upon this revelation to criticize the ruling BJP, highlighting concerns over political funding transparency. 

As the investigation unfolds, questions regarding accountability and justice loom large, amplifying the urgency for stringent measures to safeguard against such exploitation.

 Key Points:

 1. Scam Allegation: Welspun Enterprises Ltd reportedly deceived Dalit farmers from Gujarat into purchasing electoral bonds worth Rs 11,00,14,000 by promising a 1.5 times increase in their money over a few years. 

2. Victims: Six members of a Dalit family fell prey to the scam, with Rs 10 crore worth of bonds encashed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rs 1 crore 14 thousand by the Shiv Sena. 

3. Modus Operandi: The scam allegedly involved Welspun acquiring land from the victims and persuading them to invest the compensation money into electoral bonds to evade trouble with the Income Tax Department. 

4. Accusations: The victims have named Welspun Directors, a Senior General Manager, and other officials involved in the scam, along with the BJP's Anjar City President. 

5. Legal Response: Despite the allegations, no police report has been filed yet, pending further investigation into the matter. 

6. Supreme Court Ruling: The scam brings attention back to the Supreme Court's verdict declaring the Electoral Bonds Scheme "unconstitutional" and violating the Right to Information and Article 19(1)(a). 

7. Political Fallout: Opposition parties have seized on the scandal to criticize the ruling BJP, questioning the transparency of political funding since the inception of the Electoral Bonds Scheme in 2018.